Actinomycetes, such as Streptomyces rimosus, are well known actinomycetes useful for the production of antibiotics (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,516,080 to Ben A. Sobin et al and 2,963,401 to Jacob W. Davison et al). A new strain of such Streptomyces rimosus is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,242 to Donald Lefemmine et al.
It has now been discovered that actinomycetes such as those described in the above references and extracts from such actinomycetes are particularly useful in treating and preventing fungal attack on wood as well as their antibiotic uses. Such use constitutes a significant advance in the treatment of wood for this purpose because there are environmental and health concerns about many of the synthetic chemical fungicides presently used to protect wood from fungal attack.
It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide a means for retarding, stopping and preventing the fungal attack of wood by the treatment of such wood with living actinomycete cells.
It is also an object of the present invention to treat wood with the metabolites, i.e. a cell-free supernatant or a reconstituted cell-free compsotion, of the actinomycete to retard, stop or prevent fungal attack.
It is also an object of the present invention to treat wood with the actinomycete living cells of Streptomyces rimosus non-sporulating isolate SC-36 for the purpose of preventing, retarding or stopping fungal attack.
A further object of the present invention is to treat wood with a metabolite extract from the actinomycete Streptomyces rimosus non-sporulating isolate SC-36 for the purpose of preventing, retarding or stopping fungal attack.
A still further object of the present invention is to treat wood with a combination of a metabolic extract of the actinomycete Streptomyces rimosus non-sporulating isolate SC-36 and diluted boron for its synergistic effect in preventing, retarding or stopping fungal attack.